Seven alleged members of the Bronx street gang Courtlandt Over Everything (COE) have been indicted in connection with a series of violent shootings that terrorized the Mott Haven and Melrose neighborhoods, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced Friday.
“These defendants put the lives of countless people at risk in senseless episodes of gunfire, all in broad daylight,” Clark said in a statement. “In retaliation for a fatal shooting, they allegedly shot two innocent bystanders as well as their target. They allegedly engaged in a shootout outside a school as children were dismissed. They put the entire community in danger, and they will be held accountable for their actions.”
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch praised the indictment, calling it a testament to the NYPD’s ongoing efforts to dismantle violent street gangs.
“The indictment demonstrates the critical work that the NYPD does every day to stop violent gangs that terrorize our communities,” Tisch said. “I commend the NYPD investigators and our law enforcement partners for their tireless work to get these dangerous individuals off of our streets and bring them to justice.”
The defendants—identified as Ibrahim Kaba, 18 (a/k/a Mullet); Chalim Perry, 21 (a/k/a Sha EK); Elijah Santiago, 18 (a/k/a Eli Drako); a defendant who was 17 at the time of the incidents; and two 16-year-olds—were arraigned on March 6 before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Guy Mitchell. A seventh defendant, Zaire Flowers, 18 (a/k/a ZAZA), remains at large as of March 6.
The 62-count indictment charges the defendants with second-degree conspiracy, attempted murder, first-degree assault, and several counts of criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment, and attempted assault.
Prosecutors allege the group was responsible for four shootings between July 22 and Oct. 8, 2024, in a campaign of violence that left innocent bystanders wounded and put the lives of children at risk.
On July 22, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Perry, Williams, Flowers, and a 16-year-old defendant allegedly opened fire at 338 E. 145th St. in the Patterson Houses, targeting a rival gang member. The shooting, believed to be retaliation for the fatal shooting of a COE member’s father, left an 18-year-old wounded, along with a 67-year-old man and a 30-year-old NYCHA employee. Nine shell casings and a bullet lodged in an MTA bus were recovered from the scene.
Half an hour later, Kaba and Flowers allegedly fired multiple shots near 320 E. 156th St. in the Melrose Houses, forcing elderly bystanders to flee for their lives.
In another incident, on Oct. 7, at approximately 10:17 a.m., Kaba allegedly fired multiple shots at a man riding a motorcycle near Courtlandt Avenue and E. 153rd Street. The target crashed into a parked vehicle and fled before police could question him.
The next day, at approximately 4:11 p.m., Santiago, a 17-year-old defendant, and another individual allegedly engaged in a shootout with a rival gang member outside Port Morris School of Community Leadership (PS/MS 5X) on E. 149th St. At least 12 shots were fired as children were being dismissed.
Prosecutors say the defendants boasted about their crimes in drill rap videos posted to YouTube and Instagram, where they made explicit references to the shootings. Perry, who rapped under the name “Sha EK,” and Santiago, who went by “Eli Drako,” allegedly threatened rival gangs and even encouraged further violence in their lyrics. In one video, Perry reportedly promised a gold chain to the first COE member to commit a murder.
Bail was set at $500,000 cash over $750,000 bond for Santiago, $300,000 cash over $300,000 bond for Perry, and $100,000 cash over $200,000 bond for Kaba. The next court date for the defendants is scheduled for March 12.
